Yeo Woon and Seoleun
by wordsunderthestars
Summary: A spinoff from Warrior Baek Dong Soo. Yeo Woon takes on a mission to China and blends into the civilian life. A peasant Seoleun/Yue Er's house provides him isolation from prying eyes, but she starts to kill to keep people from finding out about him...
1. Chapter 1

云月之间

Chapter 1

Yeo Woon watched the men pick up the black parcels from the ground and move them to the ship's cargo bunk. He frowned at the thought of going to China. He hated the Chinese, for his fate was sealed with Heksachurong, which was founded by them.

"Cheon Ju, the goods are loaded," reported one of the men, bowing before him. Yeo Woon nodded and stepped on board. As the ship set sail, the glittering waves greeted his eyes and a light breeze whispered in his ears. Casting a reluctant look at Joseon, he headed for his quarters, trying to forget those he would be leaving behind temporarily.

Once on Chinese soil, Yeo Woon had his men send out the parcels to the Chinese lackeys of Pyongpan Hong Daeju. Then he sent them on their way back, while he prepared to infiltrate the Chinese population and learn more about the Pyongpan's extent of political power.

Emerging from the guesthouse dressed in a suit of dull grey civilian clothes, he spotted on of the Chinese minor lords rushing past in a hurry. Curious about his motives, Yeo Woon kept his distance and followed the minor lord.

The man entered a brothel in midday, much to Yeo Woon's surprise. Subsequently, some other minor lords entered, looking around surreptitiously. Without Guhyang's aid, Yeo Woon decided not to risk entering on the sly. He didn't trust the Chinese courtesans could be bought over by money, so he waited at a safe distance.

Before long, the minor lords dispersed. One of them picked a route leading out of the city towards the woods. Homing in on this man, Yeo Woon followed closely behind. The man began walking along a deserted mountain path that wound along a quiet lake. Without warning, the masked Yeo Woon struck out at the man.

"Tell me all you know," he hissed, the sword blade pressed against the man's throat. The man swore in Chinese and gulped hard, refusing to speak at first. Yeo Woon pressed the blade harder and a tiny trickle of blood ran down the edge of the blade.

"I'll speak!" squeaked the man. "Hong Daeju Pyongpan's gifts were received. The Heksachurong will now be watched even more closely because the Pyongpan doubts its credibility now that Cheon Ju is gone. He said that the new Cheon Ju is young and dubious…"

A sudden crunch of gravel down the road distracted both men for a moment. The Chinese man took advantage of this opportunity to try and flee. Yeo Woon made to go after him, but at that moment a peasant appeared along the path. The Chinese man grabbed the peasant and held a blade to her throat. "Let me go," he snarled, "or she dies!"

Before Yeo Woon could react, the peasant girl reached up and pulled the man's arm away from her neck. She dug her grubby nails into his skin and bit down on his flesh. Howling in pain, the man struck her on the back with his free hand. She refused to let go until his hand gave way and the blade fell to the ground. Shoving her to the ground, the man kicked her hard on her side. "Scum! Filthy rat!" he spat.

Yeo Woon struck out at the man, who fell back a few steps. Then all of a sudden, the man lunged at Yeo Woon, flicking something out of his hand. A small dart scratched Yeo Woon on the left shoulder, just below the collarbone. Angered by the man's audacity, he retaliated and drove his sword through the man's abdomen. When he stood up, the man was already dead.

The peasant had pushed herself off the ground into a sitting position. Yeo Woon turned around to silence her, but the scratch on his shoulder began to burn. The world spun and he found himself falling to the ground. His vision blurred as he tried to get up. Then everything went black.

The peasant gasped in shock, looking from the dead minor lord to the unconscious boy. Then she hastily got up, dragged the dead minor lord's body into the bushes and rolled it under a fallen tree. The blood on his clothes stained her hands and she was terrified, but she hated the cruel lord.

Next, she hurried back to the path. The unconscious boy's wound was bleeding, and his lips were turning pale. "Poison," she thought. It was the way some minor lords in their town used to get away in fights. The boy was still breathing, but she could not wake him up.

Ignoring the pain on her back and in her side, she managed to straddle him on her back. Then she hurried down the path, and took a small track off into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

云月之间

Chapter 2

Yue Er drags her feet into her tiny rundown hut and set the boy down on the bed – a layer of straw covered by some old blankets. She forces herself to get up and start a fire to boil some water. Then she found a small sharp knife and cleaned it. The water was taking too long to boil. Heating the blade over the fire, she wiped it again. It should be clean enough.

Carefully, she cut open the boy's dull grey garments, revealing the wound. It looked like a small scratch, but the poison was doing its work. The edges around the wound are turning red and swollen. Black blood was crusting on the skin. Taking a clean hankerchief, she dipped it in some clean water and wiped the opening of the wound. Then she carefully slid the tip of the blade over the crusted blood, opening the wound again. Blackish blood oozed out and she wasted no time sucking out the poison and spitting it into a bowl.

She could instantly taste the sharpness of the poison and wondered what it was made of. Her tongue and lips felt numb after a few minutes. By then the redness had subsided a little. She pressed another clean piece of cloth over the wound to stop the bleeding.

The boy's fever did not go away instantly and he remained pale. There was nothing Yue Er could do about it. She was too poor to afford a physician and the best she could do was to place a damp cool cloth over his head and neck. The numbness on her lips and tongue made breathing and swallowing difficult for her. I must have swallowed some of it, she thought. For the next couple of days, she tended to the boy who drifted in and out of consciousness, while trying to stay awake herself.

At midnight, Yeo Woon awoke with a start. In the dim light of a single candle, he saw rags, broken furniture, pots and pans and a pile of tattered looking garments. He was lying on a bed that was mighty uncomfortable. Looking to his side, he saw someone had a grip on his arm. His reflexes kicked in and he tried to jerk his arm aside, but pain seared through his shoulder.

Yue Er felt the sudden movement and awoke immediately. She kept her grip on his arm, fearing movement would make things worse. "You're awake," she said in relief. "Don't move your arm," she said, pointing to the wound.

"Who are you?" Yeo Woon demanded. He sat up and glared at her. Yue Er stood up immediately but her head spun. She felt heat rushing up her spine and perspiration broke out on her brow. In the next instant, a chill overwhelmed her and her legs buckled. Yeo Woon caught her with his good arm as she fell.

"I took the poison out," Yue Er said to him weakly, pointing to his wound. "I'm glad you are alright now." And then her head drooped and she was unconscious.

The next moment, Yue Er opened her eyes and it was morning. She was sleeping on her bed just like she always did. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, a mild numbing sensation in her mouth reminded her that all was not a dream.

She exited the hut slowly, still slightly dizzy from the night before. The boy she had rescued was standing in the yard, flexing his left arm. "Who are you?" he asked without turning around.

"My name is Yue Er. Who are you?"

"Why?"

"You saved me, do you remember?"

"Yes."

"You were hit by a poisoned dart."

"I know."

"I saved you."

"I know."

Thunder rolled in the distance and dark clouds appeared on the horizon. Yeo Woon and Yue Er watched them approach without a word. The first raindrops fell at their feet quietly. Finally, Yeo Woon turned and headed back towards the hut.

"Come inside, it is raining."

"What is your name?" she asked again.

"Yeo Woon."


	3. Chapter 3

云月之间

Chapter 3

Yue Er stepped out of the hut early in the morning. She didn't see Yeo Woon anywhere and assumed he had left. "What a strange person…" she murmured to herself. She made her way to the makeshift gate in the tiny yard.

Swooosh! A sliver of light flashed before her eyes and a cold metal blade pressed against her throat. "Planning to report me?" a familiar cold voice said.

Yue Er met Yeo Woon's cold stare calmly, disguising her fear as best as she could. "No, I don't even know who you are," she replied.

"Where are you going to, then?"

"I'm going to the market. There is no more food in the house."

"I don't believe you."

"Follow me then. Or you can always kill me."

Yeo Woon decided it was not worth killing a peasant. After all, he was supposed to be blending in. Sheathing his sword, he put on his best performance. "Ah, sorry about that. I am still worried about being attacked yesterday," he shrugged.

They took the long winding path and passed the spot where the minor lord was killed. Blood stains had been washed away by the rain, but the memories sent shivers down Yue Er's spine. She hurried past as best as she could.

"You know that minor lord," Yeo Woon observed.

"Yes. His name is Lord Wu."

"Tell me about him."

"He has relations to the Red Lily Brothel in town. I don't know much about his occupation but he works closely with the medical halls which supply the army with medicine."

"What was he doing out here?"

"He… he was looking for my father," Yue Er said hesitantly. "My father works as his odd jobs labourer. Lord Wu sometimes sends him away for months. I don't know what jobs he does, he never tells me. Sometimes Lord Wu doesn't pay us at all, but we are at his mercy."

They entered the town centre, greeted by the hustle and bustle of the market. Yue Er bought some vegetables with the little money she had, and was left with a couple of copper pieces. They passed stalls selling all sorts of food, clothes and accessories.

"Have you eaten in the morning?" she asked Yeo Woon. He shook his head absently, looking around and memorizing the layout of the stalls and buildings. He noticed that several stall sold items from Joseon, while many others sold unique things he had seldom seen.

"Have a bun!" Yue Er said. She paid the bun seller the last couple of copper pieces she had, broke a medium sized fluffy white bun into two and handed one half to him. "This is the best thing you can eat in the morning," she said.

They ate as they walked through the market and city centre. Yue Er pointed out several buildings to Yeo Woon. The pawn shop is on the left. Right ahead is the Jade Bamboo Inn. Further up on the right is Snow Crane Medical Hall, where Lord Wu often visits.

At the end of the street, Red Lily Brothel loomed. It was the same one that the minor lords had gathered in. In the morning, it looked serene and peaceful. All the courtesans had retired to rest and only the servant girls were seen cleaning up and running errands.

Suddenly one servant girl ran up to Yue Er. Yeo Woon felt her bristle and tense up. He moved to a stall at the road side, pretending to pick out some accessories while keeping his ears open.

"Tian Yue Er! Where have you been? Don't you know that Hongmei-jie has been asking all over town about you? Why haven't you come to work? We are up to our necks working all day and night!" the servant girl scolded.

"I'm sorry, Lanlan," replied Yue Er. "I've been busy looking after my dad, er, he is sick again."

"Your father? Didn't Lord Wu send him on some mission weeks ago? If he had returned, why didn't he come to find Lord Wu? Didn't you know that Lord Wu was killed on the way to finding your father?"

Lanlan pointed to a poster on a wall. "Look! There's the news of Lord Wu's body being found, stabbed by some kind of sharp sword. There's a reward of 50 taels of silver for any news."

Yue Er stared in shock at the poster. Lanlan sighed and shook her head. "We just lost a very important customer, Yue Er. Hongmei-jie is very upset with you already. This loss worries her. The death of Lord Wu means the men are now afraid to travel out at night. You should come back to help out as a servant, at least…"

Yue Er turned away from the poster and avoided Lanlan's eyes. "I will not come back here. You know that Hongmei-jie will ask me to start serving the men. I will not do it," she said quietly.

"You are in a very difficult position now, Yue Er. Lord Wu died on the way to your house. Your father is the prime suspect in the minds of many. If you come back, Hongmei-jie can be your alibi. If you do not, both you and your father will be hauled to court for murder!" With this, Lanlan hurried back to work, casting one last pitying glance over her shoulder at Yue Er.

Yeo Woon followed Yue Er as she turned back towards the crowd. Picking the alleys, he steered her away from the noisy streets. "What did she mean by working for Hongmeijie?" he asked.

Yue Er sighed and quickened her steps until they were out of earshot of the town. Along the way home, she related her story.

"My father used to be a trader. He met Lord Wu at the Red Lily Brothel and my mother was his favorite. After some time, my mother gave birth to me, but she did not want to keep me. So she told Hongmei-jie, who was a young courtesan back then, to deliver me to his home. Shortly after, my mother died. In return for keeping this incident a secret, my father had to pay large sums of money to Lord Wu and Hongmei-jie. When he finally became too poor, he had to run errands for Lord Wu. Hongmei-jie, who now runs the brothel, has promised to keep the secret safe if I work as a servant for her. However, she planned with Lord Wu to bind me to her trade at the first opportunity."

Yeo Woon followed her back to the hut. They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the day. At nightfall, she helped him change the dressing of his wound.

"Will you go back there?" he asked.

"No, I didn't do anything wrong."

"They'll come for you."

"I will leave this place if I have to."

"That will make you look guilty."

"Maybe, but I will not go back there," Yue Er replied. She turned away and looked out of the window. "We'll talk about it in the morning."


	4. Chapter 4

云月之间

Chapter 4

Tap! Tap!

Yue Er looked up from her sewing. Lanlan stood at the door, richly dressed for a servant girl. For a moment, panic flashed across Yue Er's face as she worried over what would happen if Lanlan spotted Yeo Woon. However, he has been absent since dawn and she could only hope that Lanlan will leave before he returns.

Lanlan surveyed the hut quietly, and put a small packet on the table, lifting her sleeve carefully so as not to soil it. It was something wrapped in a yellow silk handkerchief that Yue Er knew all too well. It was Hongmei-jie's trademark that she always carried her "Golden Petal" with her and she had dozens of them. Receiving a Golden Petal usually meant serious business.

When Yeo Woon returned from his scouting business, he spotted Lanlan before she could spot him. Hiding behind a tree, he watched as the well-dressed girl hurried down the path towards the city. Sensing some new progress he was not aware of, he wondered if killing Lord Wu had landed Yue Er and her father in trouble.

He entered the hut to find Yue Er pondering over something. Her sewing laid forgotten beside her, a tattered coat that had been patched several times. Her fingers gripped one end of the yellow silk parcel but she did not appear to like what she sees.

"What is that?" he asked casually, sitting down nearby as if he had just returned from an uneventful stroll.

"Taels of silver, enough to last us for months."

"Did your father get paid?"

"No, I did. Hongmei-jie sent Lanlan a while ago. She said my father owed Lord Wu a debt. Although Lord Wu is now dead, the debt must be repaid. Since she cannot find my father, I have to repay it for him. This is what I receive in return, a small fraction of what she will earn on behalf of Lord Wu."

"What do you mean?"

"I have to work for her. Otherwise, I will not be able to pay off the debt and she will send the authorities over," she said sadly.

The next day, Yue Er awoke early to pack her belongings. She handed half of the silver to Yeo Woon. "I don't know who you really are and why you killed Lord Wu. But I think you are a good person. Take this and leave before they find out about you," she said.

Before either could move, a hoarse yell came from the yard. Yue Er jumped at the familiar voice. "Hide quickly!" she said. "It is my father! Hide and do not come out, no matter what happens! If he finds out I'm keeping you here, I'll be dead."

A disheveled and uncouth looking middle aged man lumbered into the hut. At the sight of the yellow handkerchief and the taels of silver on the table, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Then anger darkened his face. Grabbing Yue Er by her hair, he slapped her repeatedly and shoved her against the wall. Taking a broken broom stick, he proceeded to beat her in a murderous rage.

"You wretch!" he roared. "Just like your wretched mother! All because of that wretch that Lord Wu has been sucking my life away and now that he is finally dead, I can breathe. But you! How dare you…"

The broom stick broke and Yue Er's father stopped for a moment, heaving and wheezing heavily. Yue Er stayed huddled at the foot of the wall, in fear of incurring further wrath by the slightest movements. However, her father was not done. Picking up a piece of firewood, he continued to beat and curse.

"Ungrateful wretch! All because of your mother! She said she would help me, she said things would be better and I would be successful. Look at this now! She helped Lord Wu and repaid me with a daughter I didn't want! A child of a whore! I worked hard, I starved and toiled so that Lord Wu would not hound me about my debts. But now you try to disgrace me by going the same way your mother did!"

Yeo Woon clenched his fists. Memories of his own unhappy childhood flashed across his mind - the endless beatings of his drunken father and being called a killer even when he was just playing by himself. Peeking through a slit in the wooden walls, he saw the man beat Yue Er in a state of madness. Like in a dream, the man slowly took on the form of his father.

He saw the look on Yue Er's face. It was more than fear. Her tears were streaming but her eyes gleamed with resentment. The harder the hits fell, the more she resisted crying out in pain. Her eyes met his through the slit and she turned away, hiding her face under her arms and the blows rained on her. This was how he felt, too. The shame and humiliation of being forced to assume a role he never wanted and then be blamed for it. He never had friends because no one believed he was good.

"What the hell are you doing?" a shrill woman's voice sounded.

At the door was a lady, heavily perfumed and richly dressed in red silk. She glared at the father and daughter, frowning in contempt. She threw a particularly distasteful look at the father. "This girl is mine and you have ruined her worth! Look at her now, who would even pay to watch her dance in this state?" she spat.

Yue Er's father looked like he would hit the lady too, but he held himself back. Worn out from the beating, he sat heavily and panted, scowling at her.

"Lady Hongmei, I will not be disgraced this way!" he roared. Hongmei-jie smiled and pointed to the taels of silver on the table. Yue Er's father hurled it to her feet, cursing and swearing in anger, "Be gone, before I make you feel sorry!"

Hongmei-jie remained and pointed to Yue Er. "How can I leave when you have ruined my new precious flower?" she asked sweetly, her smile cold and cunning. "Do not forget the mountains of debt you owed to Lord Wu. Did I not guarantee that as long as you worked for him and I profited from his business, I would repay the debts for you? But now that he is gone, how should I recoup my losses? You owe it to me, so blame me not for taking your child into my care." She pulled Yue Er to her feet.

Yue Er's father balked and refused, but Hongmei-jie was persistent. Finally, seeing that the man would rather beat his own child to death than be disgraced and realizing that he could never repay her even if she agreed to spare his child, she sat down and spoke in a rationalizing voice. "I do not intend for her to be like her mother, dear sir. Oh no, how could you even think of it! You should be ashamed of yourself! I am employing her as one of the dancers for my girls. You know how it is, the girls are always so exhausted because they have so many customers. If they are tired, they cannot serve them well! Your daughter will work in the back quarters in the day and dance for the men at night. As for the rest of the service, that's for my other girls."

Yue Er watched as her father and Hongmei-jie debated. At first, she clung to a sliver of hope that her father's adamant stand would sway Hongmei-jie. Perhaps she might even propose an alternative solution. However, as they negotiated further, she saw the change in her father's stand. Hongmei-jie's promises of riches and business prospects brought a glint of greed into his eyes. He even agreed not to acknowledge having a daughter and assuming the identity of a businessman from another province, so as to severe all links from Lord Wu and start afresh. Crushing her last hope, her father took accepted a jade bangle that Hongmei-jie presented as a gift of friendship.

"You wretch!" he snapped, not even looking at her. "Get us some wine and something to eat. You will set off right after this meal." Turning his attention back to Hongmei-jie, he continued enquiring about the promised business prospects, while she prattled on about the riches they could bring.

Yeo Woon felt hot and cold all over. This was worse that he could imagine. At least, his father never abandoned him nor sold him to slavery. He watched as Yue Er moved slowly to the side and prepared the dishes. He noticed she reached into her pocket for something but his line of sight was blocked. After a few moments, Yue Er served the simple dishes to her father and Hongmei-jie. Then she turned and busied herself with packing her belongings.

Before long, her father gave an anguished cry. When Yue Er looked up, his face was pale and his eyes bloodshot. Pointing accusingly at her, he sputtered and tried to speak but no words came out. Across the table from him, Hongmei-jie was already sprawled across the table, blood trickling from her lips and lifeless eyes wide opened. Yue Er's father struggled to get up and lunge at her, but he fell heavily to the floor, gasping his final breaths.

Yue Er did not wait to see what happened. Grabbing the taels of silver, she stuffed them into her pack of belongings. She grabbed some shawls and ran out of the hut, trampling over the yellow silk handkerchief. Yeo Woon did not wait for her signal. He kicked over the pile of firewood just outside the house and the flames crackled upon touching the wooden walls.

Outside in the yard, Yeo Woon quickly rejoined her but he did not speak. Holding tightly onto each other, they fled quietly into the depths of the forest, leaving behind crackling tongues of flames.


	5. Chapter 5

云月之间

Chapter 5

It was growing dark when they finally stopped running. In the dimming twilight of the forest, nothing could be heard except the sounds of panting and their racing pulses. Yeo Woon trod with care and led the way to a cave beside a stream. Using the last lights of the day, he found them a place to sleep and made a small fire.

"Come, I think we'll be alright here," he said. There was no reply from Yue Er. He turned back and saw that she was staring at the ground, trying in vain not to cry.

"What have I done?" she sobbed. "What have we done?"

"What we had to," he replied quietly, stoking the fire. Yue Er stood rooted to the spot, still in shock. He pulled her forcibly to the fire, sat her down beside it and waited for her to speak.

"I killed two people," she said finally. There was a tone of disbelief in her voice, as if she wanted it all to be a dream.

"I killed many more," he said calmly. Looking up, she met his gaze uncomprehendingly. "Yue Er, I kill people for a living. That's who I am. You never asked me about my past, so I never told you."

Yue Er choked up again, so he decided to drop the subject. He drew a shawl over her as she laid down, exhausted from the events of the day. The embers were slowly fading out and he leaned back against a rock wall, closing his eyes.

"_Woon ah!" his father pleaded, his eyes filled with dread and remorse. "Let me be the first and last one you kill… Please, Woon ah!"_

Yeo Woon's eyes snapped open. His brow was drenched with cold sweat. The embers were now smoking lightly and dawn was breaking outside. The morning chorus was starting up and a bluish tint of the dawn filled the cave. Yue Er slept where he had left her last night, curled up tightly under the shawl.

As he moved to start another fire, his sight fell on her tear stained face. The longer he stared at her face, the more resemblance he saw to himself as a child, crying himself to sleep after being beaten again by his drunken father, feeling wrongfully punished and unable to change anything.

'I mustn't let her become me,' he thought to himself. 'She must never be caught in the shadow of murder, like I am.'

A sudden flutter of wings caught his attention. The sound was quite far off but it was enough. His assassin instincts kicked in and he kicked the blackened coals out of sight, removing traces of the fire he built. Waking Yue Er urgently, he motioned for her to be quiet and pulled her into a narrow opening between two boulders.

They waited in the narrow space, Yue Er clutching him tightly and he clutching the hilt of his sword. A few quiet moments passed, then there was an unmistakenly sound of a shoe crunching on gravel. There was a shout from somewhere further downstream and the footsteps got louder.

"SEARCH!" a man's voice rang out loud and clear. "FIND THE MURDERESS AND BRING HER TO JUSTICE!"

Yeo Woon felt Yue Er's fingers digging deeper into his shoulder. He tried to comfort her, stroking her hair lightly on the nape of her neck. As the footsteps and shouts drew nearer, she bit her lips and tried to appear calm, but trembled ever so slightly in fear.

A sudden thought of Jisun flashed into Yeo Woon's mind. He remembered that first time he rescued her and rode away from the bandits. Jisun had clutched him tightly as they galloped across those endless fields. She had not spoken of fear but it was written all over her face. The memory brought tears to his eyes, reminding him of the days when he was the boy he wanted to be, not the person he is now.

Protecting Yue Er reminded him of all the ideals about life he once had. He wondered whether his current situation could afford her any security from the dangers she had fallen into.

He held Yue Er close to him in silence for the longest time. Suddenly, the morning chorus resumed. In the distance, the shouts of the men echoed. They had moved on from the cave, finding nothing significant. Eventually, they drifted out of earshot.

'I will never let you live like this. I will find you a place where you'll never have to run from anyone. You will never have to live like me, you have my word,' he promised her in his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

云月之间

Chapter 6

Chirping sounds woke Yue Er from her sleep. She lifted her head from the rock she was resting against and rubbed sleep from her eyes. They had crouched in the furthest corner of the cave to rest, but now she was alone. Yeo Woon had put his blanket over her and gone out somewhere. Stretching her sore joints, she followed the chirps to the entrance of the cave.

The trauma of murder and being hunted seemed a distant dream in this peaceful place. A little hope fluttered in her heart that she might stay here forever, safe from the world and being protected by someone whom she could trust. However, the shoeprints in the crunched up gravels reminded her that it was not possible.

"Morning," Yeo Woon said, appearing right next to her. She smiled wanly at him, broken out of her thoughts. She wondered where he went. He never tells her anything, and if she was tempted to ask, she never showed.

They left the cave shortly after, at Yeo Woon's insistence. Deeper into the forest they ventured, and daylight slowly filtered into a haunting emerald green hue. Neither spoke much although their minds were filled with uncertainty about the future. Yeo Woon led the way in his usual quiet calm way, and Yue Er followed unquestioningly.

By twilight, they reached the outskirts of a small town. Here Yeo Woon stopped for a short rest, wiping one of his daggers thoughtfully. Yue Er, exhausted from her long trek, curled up at his feet and fell asleep.

Crack!

In a flash, the blade was at the throat of the intruder. Yeo Woon moved with such swift and silent grace that Yue Er did not even sense a thing. In the dim light, he saw a pair of familiar eyes, ever admiring and adoring, yet always laced with doubt and controlled slyness.

"Guhyang," he said at last, removing the blade from her throat as she pulled the mask off her nose and mouth, revealing her beautiful face. Her beautiful countenance glowed with joy at the sight of him, which wavered with concern at him. She looked at him quietly, awaiting his orders.

Gesturing to Yue Er, Yeo Woon whispered something to Guhyang. She took a long look at the sleeping girl, another long look at Yeo Woon and seemed perplexed. "Is this really necessary?" she asked.

"Yes. Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I always do."

"Then will you help me?"

"Of course, I will do anything for you," she replied.

From the corner of his eye, Yeo Woon stole a look at Guhyang. He felt a slight twinge of guilt at her undying loyalty and faith in him. The gisaeng cared so much for him that she would go out of the way to please him, and he did not like to make use of this.

"By nightfall, I will come to the place. Have everything in place, and make sure no one talks. I am counting on you," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Guhyang looked surprised at his gesture and he drew his hand back slowly. She smiled politely, bowed and then her pretty eyes melted into the descending darkness.

Yeo Woon woke Yue Er up an hour later, and both set off for the small town. He seemed to know his way, so she assumed he had been here before. He took the small lanes, avoiding the streets and led her to the back of a small inn.

A stiff-looking man in black opened the door and looked hard at them. Then he gave a curt nod and showed them into a small room at the end of a corridor. No words were spoken, and Yue Er wondered how Yeo Woon found this place. When they had entered the room, the man bowed politely to Yeo Woon and left.

"How did you find this place?" she asked him.

"I travelled a lot," he replied casually, sitting at the table and pouring himself a cup of tea. At this moment, there was a knock on the door and it opened.

"Yue Er, this is Guhyang. She is here to help us," Yeo Woon introduced, still as calm and casual as ever, gesturing for both of them to sit at the table with him. The girls greeted each other politely and sat waiting for him to decide on the next course of action.

"So what have we got?" he asked Guhyang.

"The owner knows you well, so he has agreed to your terms," she replied mysteriously.

"Good. How are the arrangements for tomorrow?"

"It is as you wished, my lord. No one would suspect a thing," replied Guhyang, this time looking at Yue Er directly.

"What are you talking about?" Yue Er asked. Guhyang looked to Yeo Woon for permission to explain, and he nodded in approval.

"Miss Yue Er, my lord has arranged for you to be housed in this inn. The owner knows Lord Yeo Woon very well, he would honour his word to protect you from those who are after your life. We have arranged everything for you, all you need to do is to stay here and forget about what happened. As of this moment, Tian Yue Er is dead.

"As we speak, news will be reaching your hometown about a half-consumed remains of a young female being found in the woods you just left. By daybreak, it shall be known that Tian Yue Er had been killed by a bear and mauled beyond recognition.

"By morning, the world will no longer be concerned with Tian Yue Er, murderess of her father and enemy of Red Lily Brothel. That is when Baek Seoleun will be born. Lord Yeo Woon has arranged for you to live a new life as co-owner of this place, Black Snow Inn," Guhyang said.

Yue Er stared at them in silence, too stunned by what she had just heard. Yeo Woon's countenance was still calm, but his casualness seemed to have vanished, replaced by a sort of aloofness she didn't recognize. "Do you accept this arrangement?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I guess," she answered slowly, "but what about you? Will you stay here with me?"

"No, I will not. There are things I have to do, in places far away."

"So… you're leaving me here?"

Yeo Woon did not answer, but signaled Guhyang to leave. She bowed courteously to him, casted Yue Er a glance of pity mixed with envy, and stepped out gracefully.

"You're leaving me here?" Yue Er asked again, fear rising in her heart again. How short that feeling of stability, trust and protection had been!

"Yes, I have to," Yeo Woon said, looking directly at her. Again, guilt nagged at him for abandoning her. "You must understand, I kill people for a living. If you stay by my side, you will become like me, an outsider to the rest of the world. You will never have a normal life and the blood on your hands will never stop flowing. You will never be free and truly happy."

"But I feel safe with you! As long as I stay with you, there's nothing else I could need. You will protect me, won't you?"

"I cannot keep you safe if you are with me. People will come after me, they will want to take my life. By leaving you here, I am keeping you safe. As long as things go well, no one will find you. Baek Seoleun will have freedom, something which I cannot give you if you were to remain with me."

Yue Er made to speak, but Yeo Woon stopped her. "This is the best decision. I will still look after you even if I am not here, I have my ways. If you trust me, please believe in my arrangements and follow through with them," he said.

"Will you come back, if I agree to stay here? Will I see you again?" she cried, frightened at the idea of being left in unfamiliarity and confusion.

Yeo Woon looked away, forcing the sadness he felt away. He knew this was hard for her, but it was the only way he could keep her away from a similar fate to his. It was the only way she could have something he would never get.

"I do not know," he replied, "but please do as I say. If I should come back here again, I want to see Baek Seoleun as a happy and free person. Promise me this."


End file.
